#cringe at that post bc the story needs a lot of work but also... i was rly inspired at the time wow

[nectar-cellar]

some more pics of elise.

i was trying to style her everyday outfit and just ended up posing her and taking pics.

i found a word document i had written several months ago planning out elise’s personality, her life, her past, her insecurities, her flaws, her relationship with rainer, how they met, etc. basically her character development sheet. rereading it made me a lil bit emotional 🥺🥺

[orphiclovers]

Actually I'm not done talking about yoohankim's awful digital footprint pre-scenarios. Kim Dokja gets a lot of flack for being chronically online and cringe and that's fair enough but let's just acknowledge that neither Yoo Joonghyuk or Han Sooyoung are ANY better.

For Han Sooyoung it's obvious. Despite having her own sucessful webnovel, presumably with fans who support her, she gets obsessed with her one hater who thinks she is a plagiarist, finds the "original" novel where this guy was the only commenter on every chapter, and instead of reading her own comments she spends her time reading HIS and imagining he's saying that about her writing. She does this for years. DERANGED BEHAVIOUR. Pre-scenarios Han Sooyoung has no excuse to be acting this crazy. Sent to internet jail for being weird online.

1863rd Han Sooyoung. Automatically get a pass to act unhinged bc after going through the apocalypse that's just expected and also the only person she talks to for 13 years is Kim Dokja and a creepy old man who calls her god, BUT. That being said she's a perfectly average and healthy internet user! Spends literally every waking moment writing a shitty webnovel so hard pieces of her soul chip away and infuse in it, sure, but she doesn't bother anyone, just does her own thing, posts the chapters and occasionally chats with her one commenter. The most normal one here. Somehow.

Kim Dokja. Big fan of a webnovel and can get intense about it sometimes, starts fights online defending his fave character, recommends the same novel so much he gets banned from forums, whatever. WE'VE ALL BEEN THERE IS WHAT IM SAYING. This is nothing too crazy, only about the level of an average fandom superfan. Uses his real name online which is certainly a choice but some people do that in real life too. Giving him a pass, I was also a cringey emo teen on the internet once. (and im still cringe and emo)

Yoo Joonghyuk as seen in Yoo Mia side story. Absolutely glued to his phone. He checks it while eating breakfast, while in the car being driven to work, while literally walking down the street so that Yoo Mia has to tell him to put it away and hold her hand! He is basically addicted to reading hate comments about himself. In his narration he mentions that there are only a few regulars in the forums he lurks in and that he recognizes all their usernames, accidentally revealing that he's in too deep and officially lost in the sauce. Even his manager tells him he should stop reading the comments because they clearly upset him, but he justifies it to himself by thinking quote, "If someone has a grudge against him, he just needs to be prepared to face that hatred. Then everything is under his control."  That last line especially is such a cope, and reveals that this behavior is another one of his desperate attempts to feel in control of his life, and as pathetic as that is and as much as I feel sympathy this is being weird online and I'm sending him to Internet jail.

Bonus round: Secretive Plotter. Need I say anything. Absolutely glued to his phone AGAIN, no it doesn't make it better that sometimes it's his kkomas instead of him. Canonically has a bound book of every single comment Kim Dokja ever left on WOS, printed out, which is more freak mode than even Han Sooyoung went. Straight to jail.

[beddybites]

Do yiu have any tips on like how to attract more attention 😭 it's been a good while and it's a huge struggle of keeping motivation and not so amazing art so it's hard to sure my characters and their stories bc one thing a can say in confidence is I am a good writer I'd like to think, people tell me I have and oddly good but cryptic way of writing that keeps people enthralled, but my biggest struggle is getting them interested in the first place 😭

hi there!! i admittedly dont really know much about the world of writing and how to gain more attention there, but i can try to give tips and see what applies & sticks!

start off short & simple and build it up over time

if you start off with something big and complicated there will be more pressure to keep things big and complicated. theres nothing wrong with short and simple and mixing it up here & there (ie with art: if you only post full pieces with extravagant rendering people will keep expecting it. mix it up a bit. i try posting a variety of sketches and doodles and more detailed things— sometimes some things do better than others and thats ok!

it is 100% okay to repost/reblog your own work

if you ever see me spamming my blog with the same posts, its so i have it back on peoples feeds and on my main profile and its easier for people to find. its also likely that some ppl missed the post, and reblogging/reposting gives them the opportunity to see it!!

something something “its cringe and egotistical” WRONG!!!!!!!!!! its completely normal for creators to repost their content and it may help a lot!!

short & sweet descriptons

when you post, avoid giant paragraphs of text, especially if you’re including art in the post. people will be distracted and will see a giant post and just scroll past it

speaking of descriptions, try using trendy words and notable names

its kinda like hashtagging. if you look at my posts you’ll typically see how i will drop people’s full names + include the word “art” or “doodle” … this is because it will more likely show up on someones feed if said person looks up the same words.

ie: googling “muichiro tokito art” -> insert my post popping up because it has “muichiro tokito art” written out in the description

i admittedly have trouble providing tips as someone who doesnt rlly understand how i got noticed to begin with haha. something something imposter syndrome or whatever they call it these days… so im not really sure if anything above helps, but this is stuff i typically try to keep in mind when i post with the intent of trying to get people to see it

more importantly—

i know this is cheesy and this is easier said than done (i have this habit too a lot of the time) but numbers does not equal ur worth or talent. i know it isnt motivating and it can be so heartbreaking): but even if ur stuff doesnt get a lot of notoriety please know it doesnt define your value . this may sound like gibberish as it is 5 am as im posting this but truly… never give up on ur work!!! i promise u someone out there loves it

im more well known for my deaging & fluff content and to this day im rlly shocked it blew up the way it did. i really made it for myself. i came up with a whole alias and didnt plan on posting it anywhere bc i was so scared ppl would hate it and harass me or nobody would gaf. but eventually i was just like Man. if this thing helps me then maybe it can help someone out there too. and it helped provide ppl some joy & wonder and whimsy & made them feel seen and truly thats all i could ever want…

its difficult and its hard but i promise u… be patient and kind to yourself. it can definitely be hard sharing things around and getting that exposure you need but there are ways for sure. some journeys are faster than others and thats ok!

again sorry if this is all gibberish its super late ): but i hope this could help in some way shape or form

[onemoreattempt]

If elves had texting/social media hcs:

Sophie: Kinda went over this here. horrible about getting back to ppl. Will accidentally leave you on read. Thinks she responded but didn’t. Her social media notifications are through the roof. If you need her urgently, you should probably just call. Very occasional posts. She’s doing her best.

Dex: Usually good at responding to messages, depending on how busy he is and if he’s around the triplets. Fast typist/texter. One of the few helpful ppl on Reddit.

Fitz: fast responder, usually no typos. Rarely uses shortened words or acronyms

Biana: I feel like Biana would cringe internally at misused homonyms/grammar errors, but she’d be nice about it. She types with pretty good grammar, other than the obvious texting things like acronyms, initialisms, and other word shortening things. If the elves typed in English, she’d never use the wrong ‘your’ or ‘there’ and she’s a firm believer in the Oxford comma. She’d also be a Pinterest/Instagram girlie.

Marella: types in all lowercase. knows about everything that’s happening anywhere. has all the social media. Occasionally trolls flat earthers claiming that the earth is actually shaped like a Klein bottle.

Keefe: gif city. Silliest Instagram ever. Fs blurry selfies and pictures of things him with things Sophie brought him from the forbidden cities. Yt haver. Might troll human politicians on twitter without knowing what he’s talking about. Definitely gets in on trolling the flat earthers. Claims the earth is shaped like Schrödinger’s cat (or Uranus, depending on the day).

Maruca: Probably on tiktok. Terrifying to text with if you have any kind of social anxiety and you are not close friends. Very direct texting style. Unnecessarily ends things with periods, and is a slow texter. It reads as pissed off until you get to know her. She’s an absolute riot in friend group chats. Like super funny.

Stina: If a message reads as pissed off it’s bc she is❤️ Absolutely bounces off Maruca in the gc. Stina = a voice memo person?? I also feel like yt and tiktok are her main social media. She doesn’t post on yt, but she does post on TikTok showing the work she does with unicorns. Definitely puts cuter moments on Instagram too. She and Maruca ft while going through their hair care routines.

Linh: I don’t necessarily think she would, but she has the potential to make one of the most aesthetically pleasing Instagram accounts (Linhstagram, if you will). Idk I feel like Linh would be into hiking and posting photos of that, plus her and Tam, or her and Marella. But, honestly, she probably just posts photos of her mercat😭 She also has the vibes of using the little press and hold mini responses a lot (like ❤️👍❓mostly until Tam goes off and Rayni shows up)

Tam: I feel like Tam is a bad or at least scarce texter. Maybe a gc ghost too. Everyone is surprised and excited when he responds in the gc bc he hasn’t done so in 4 months. Dude has no social media. Really only has his phone to communicate with Linh

Jensi: so much love for him, but he definitely has fast typing, lots of typos vibes. Early on in the series, he was very excitable, and the audiobook narrator makes him talk fast, so that makes me think he’d probably speed type his texts and send them without checking for typos first. Gets back to you in a snap🫰. Probably sends a lot of messages in succession when telling a story. May send videos explaining things as well, or voice memos that get off topic very fast.

[steddieunderdogfics]

Today is all about @verdantcactus! In today’s Mod Spotlight, we’re highlighting Shane and all they bring to this space!!

Shane is the mod behind our Writer's Spotlights! Each week, she reaches out to authors, creates the recs, and coordinates the schedule! She also handles the questions and getting everything queued up to share with you.

Shane (She/They) has been in fandom for over 20 years and currently splits time between bandom and the Stranger Things fandom (with a strong Steddie focus). She doesn’t publish fic at the moment (but always has things vaguely in progress and at various stages of completion). Instead, she spends all of her time reading at least 100k words of fic a week on average (but frequently more honestly). She is fairly new at participating in the Stranger Things fandom and modding for Steddie Underdog Fics is her first step at participating more!

Shane has been a delight to have on the team! The spark they've shared with us has renewed the energy behind the scenes, inspiring all of us to come up with new ideas! It's been a pleasure to get to work with them. - @oh-stars

As a part of our mod spotlight, Shane answered some questions from you all and our team! You can read them below.

Be sure to stay tuned for more recs and future mod spotlights in the future!

What drew you to Steddie?

Watching their interactions in gifs to be honest. Their energy transcended needing audio for me I guess, I was just so sold. I really like the dynamic of the jock that fell from grace and the kinda awkward nerd. The fact that Eddie is into music and is kind of a wet and pathetic mess throughout the show is just icing on the cake for me. I find that I really get into ships where one of the characters is putting on a facade so to speak about who they are for the public and then in fic you get to see the takedown of that and realize who the character really is. Steddie fics seem to have a TON of that, because Steve is the popular jock who seems to be very bad at being popular and Eddie is the metalhead nerd who isn’t actually as tough as he projects and I will eat that up over and over and over.

What is your favorite thing about modding this page?

Seeing author reactions for sure! I thought coming into it that my favorite part would be seeing fics that are recced and adding to my own rec list, but honestly it’s seeing people be happy.

What are your favorite tropes to read?

SO MANY. Happy ending required but the ones I come to most often are Hurt/Comfort bc I like a little angst to drive a story forward I think. I also have been reading a lot of Fake Dating and weirdly enough Sports AU’s recently? Which is only funny bc I do not do sports IRL at all. I truly do not even know which sports go to which seasons of the year other than football and that is only because I worked retail and saw superbowl displays every year. A sports AU though? Eat that shit up.

What’s your guilty pleasure trope?

Ooooooh I don’t know that I really have a guilty pleasure trope to be honest! I will read most any trope, and also tell you about it if you ask and keep my AO3 bookmarks public too so it’s just… all out there to see if you look haha. I maybe talk less about reading like monsterfucker stuff or A/B/O stuff but that’s less bc it’s a guilty pleasure and more I have less people to rec those fics to haha. Basically cringe is dead and I’m happy that way! (:

What is your preferred way to read and find fics?

Always rec lists! I love to know that someone else was passionate enough about the fic to rec it going in. I follow a lot of people in fandom, and always make sure to follow people who post rec lists and I pillage those like it's my job for things to read. Very rarely if I want a SUPER specific trope, I will go to AO3 and filter to find a fic, but I have to really have a super specific craving for that. As for reading, I have kind of built reading fic into my daily routine. I wake up every morning and read specifically fic for at least an hour before I get up and feed my cat and get ready for the day. If I skip it because I overslept or something it feels like my whole day is off.

What makes a fic an instant yes for you to read?

A real good and unique premise! If the fic sounds like it is going to be a good time, I want to inhale it instantly.

Anonymous - Is there any older or lesser-known Steddie event from the past few years that you particularly love (if ongoing or recurring) or loved? Did you participate in any?

I really love the @subeddieweek event that happened this past summer, bc I think those fics are less common in the fandom and they were all great. I read through that event posting extensively. As for participating in events I actually haven’t. I write a little bit, but my problem is that I NEVER FINISH ANYTHING so I feel irresponsible joining an event knowing that my likelihood of finishing is so low…. I always say I want to join with the intent of finishing a WIP but either miss the sign up period or feel like I don’t have a solid enough draft to join with. Basically I and my anxiety are my own worst enemy. Maybe someday though!

@sidekick-hero - What makes a fanfic stand out for you?

I will read very nearly anything as long as it has a happy ending, but if someone has a snappy summary that is like an excerpt of the fic and then “OR Steve has X job and Y happens! The fic!” or whatever I will tend to be like hell yeah I wanna read that idea, you’ve sold me! And tend to move things up the endless TBR

@worldswcollide - What advice would you give to someone who is interested in becoming a mod in the future?

I think primarily just getting up the nerve to volunteer to do it! Fandom really is driven by the people in it, and cool things can only exist because people volunteer for them. Other than that once you start the best advice is to create some kinda routine around checking things which will help you with communicating effectively and getting things done. For me, I use a lot of phone alarms and reminders in the Finch app to make sure tasks get done when they need to lol.

Anonymous - Do you participate in any other fannish activities, like making playlists, gif edits, fanart, podcasts, Pinterest boards, etc?

Not much honestly! I wish I was more creative in those ways, but honestly I MOSTLY read. I write a tiny bit but never post anything bc I get nervous. I do bind fics into books sometimes and do it a lot for friends, but I don't really share them online. It’s just a quiet little hobby for me that makes birthday gifts for fandom people really easy.

@sidekick-hero - What motivates you to mod for steddieunderdogfics?

I really believe in the idea behind the blog. Author’s are so important and engagement really drives authors. I think it’s sad that so many really great fics get a little buried just because of the nature of the fast past of this fandom so to be able to shine a light on fics is just really great to me!

@worldswcollide -  Are there skills you’ve learned as a mod that have helped you in your everyday life?

Honestly? Formatting google sheets is the legit answer hahaha. I have been keeping track of fics I read on a massive google spreadsheet since like 2020 (because I love to reread fics and nothing bothers me more than being unable to find this one random fic that I remember a single scene from or just the vibe of) and when I became a mod I saw that big spreadsheet we have of all the recc’d fics and was like wait we can do dropdowns in google sheets?? Life changing. Currently I am in the process of sloooooowly redoing my own tracking sheet.

Anonymous - Have you had a particular favorite Challenge Monday or weekend theme so far (maybe because of the theme, the recs, or the engagement, or for some other reason)?

Oooh one that I was really excited for was the Prominent Pets challenge, that was one that I had suggested as a challenge bc I read Looks like we're in for nasty weather by prufrocks and loved Steve hanging out with Bruce so much I was like yes I want a hundred more fics with one of them hanging out with pets. And all the fics from that challenge I have either read or they are on my TBR waiting to be read now haha. I also am really excited for RomCom au’s coming up in Sept bc they are my fave to read, they are just so fun and that was a challenge I recommended!

@sidekick-hero - What do you like best about fandom?

My favorite part about fandom has always been reading fic. I CONSUME fic like nobody's business and honestly if a fandom doesn’t have fun and engaging fic for it, I probably will not stay active in that fandom for very long even if I LOVE the media property.

@worldswcollide - If you absolutely HAD to choose—enemies to lovers or friends to lovers? (At least when it comes to Steddie)

Oooh Friends to lovers every time. Enemies to lovers can be great, and I certainly read a ton of it! But also I love that kind of awkward shifting from becoming friends and really getting to know a person and then it's like oh shit actually I feel really intense about that person?? I will eat that up every single time.

Anonymous - Was there a specific moment or fandom interaction or show event that drew you into the ST fandom?

Really it was seeing all of the gifs on tumblr of Eddie. I had been meaning to watch Stranger Things for YEARS because my friend was like “this show is made for you” knowing that I love horror tv shows with really good cast dynamics but I hadn’t made the jump bc as soon as you tell me to watch something….. I suddenly am unable to watch it! Until I saw gif makers getting to work during volume 1 of season 4 and I was like look at this guy, I am obsessed. And then I was like “I want to read fic about this guy” and then I binged all of Stranger Things in like 2-3 days whoops. And now here I am probably forever!

@sidekick-hero - What makes you happy about modding?

A bunch of different things! I like working with both of my fellow mods on this project that I think is really important in a fandom with so many active events. It’s so great to see all the notes on posts for authors seeing their fics get recommended. I also get to reach out to authors for the Writer’s Wednesday spotlights as it is the area of modding I spend most of my time on and so I get to talk to everyone who has been nominated and they are always so happy to see someone nominated them! (so please always nominate your fave authors! It makes their day all the time! (: )

@worldswcollide - What gave you the last little shove you needed to become a mod for this fandom?

In general I am such a shy person that I never really put myself out there in any way. BUT at the same time I am always trying to push myself further because I long for fandom friends despite the overwhelming shyness. So when I saw the call for more mods I thought I should prob try it because it seemed like a kind of small scale way to start to be more active in fandom since you are only working with a few people at a time! It’s less overwhelming than a massive discord server to me.

Anonymous - Do you feel like your participation in bandom bleeds over into your engagement with ST fandom? For instance, being drawn to fics with a focus on band/rockstar/musician themes, or some other example you'd be comfortable highlighting?

Oooh this is a really good question actually. I think yes, but not always in ways you expect? Like it mostly gave me a love for really really niche au’s hahaha. I LOVE a niche weird job kind of au, like give me all of the Steve is a park ranger AU’s. I will say though that I also have likeeee 13k of a fic written where Steve goes on tour with Corroded Coffin as a merch guy and they eat in a lot of diners that I will maybe finish up someday and post and that definitely has bandom energy from watching so many tour diaries over the years.

@sidekick-hero - Reading as much as you do (WOW!): When does a fanfic stay on your mind even after finishing it? (I would love to hear about the last one that did stay with you)

I think most commonly fics stay with me when there’s some detail that’s like really unique or specific to that fic (like I read so many post season 4 fics they have to do something really new for me to remember like ‘OH THAT FIC RIGHT’ off the top of my head.) or they have to have some vivid character details that made me really really obsessed with the fic. I do remember a shocking amount of fics considering the sheer volume of what I read though so it’s not like I just read and instantly forget haha. Some ones that I’ve read recently that are still kicking around in my head are: better by you, better than me by palmviolet which I read while it was posting so that fic lives rent free in my head forever now as thee fic where Eddie was there from the beginning and the level of historical and musical detail in that fic is beautiful, Of Paper Stars And Pudding Cups by SameShipDifferentFont which I read slowly over a week because I was busy but as soon as I started it I was like “oh I wanna INHALE this” bc I was obsessed with Steve and Eddie’s interactions in it, and blinking red light by cuips_not_cute which is my current in progress fic that I’ve been on my edge of my seat waiting for every chapter update bc I want to see them actually COMMUNICATE someday bc that tension makes me feral.

Anonymous - What kind of fic formats do you prefer: longfic, one-shots, short chapters, long chapters, series-as-chapters, etc? Do you find that you read faster or slower with particular formats?

So I will read mostly anything that’s at least 1000 words (anything shorter and my brain doesn’t QUITE kick into focus mode for me to even have a thought about what I read). Preference wise though I LOVE LOVE LOVE a mega long fic. On weekends when I don’t have a lot of commitments I will love to pick like a massive 200-300k or longer fic and just INHALE it for the entire weekend till I’m like “wow I wonder why I have a headache? -said in the tone of someone who has been staring at a screen in the dark for the past 13 hours-” As for formats.. I tend to read best and fastest when I send fics to my kindle. That little device is a fic machine for me and I love it dearly. A very common sight is me cooking or doing dishes in my apartment with the kindle propped in a cabinet or something. But I will sometimes randomly just swap formats for a week and read exclusively on my phone or on a tablet or print something out and be carrying around sheets so really I am a mood reader that way!

@sidekick-hero - How can we make participating in the steddie fandom even more fun for you?

Always feel free to reach out to me on tumblr (@verdantcactus)! I read so much and always want to talk about fics I’ve read. So if you ever want to just chat about fics or even have some kind of specific recs you wish someone could give you.. My inbox and messages are always open (:

Today, all of our recs are from @verdantcactus specifically! You can always see their recs on our Fic Fridays by checking our #mod shane rec tag.

[cicada-candy]

Don't you just hate it when you drunkenly try to break up a barfight and meet the business end of a broken glass bottle? Don't you hate it even more when the demon that resurrects you is just kind of a dick?

(This ^^^ is from May. I'm only now getting around to getting further Hnnngh.)

Finally making ✨️The Big OC Post✨️ lmfao

posting this now because i am Stuck,, the brainworms want not to leave ig,,,,

SO

my guy my dude my boy whom I beat up all the time. That I've never actually. Posted About. Whoops.

Biographical Info.

From. Somewhere in NV. (Probably Reno because i am but a humble european who gets fuckin. Plains Fever if i think about the size of America too long) He's got a vulture theme going on. bcs I am cringe but I am ✨️free✨️and also like,,,,, desert.

Late 20s Early 30s. Hes centrally a chaos-junkie. The human embodiment of Watch This and Do It For The Plot ✨️Extreme Edition.✨️ 🎊🎉and Still. Technically 'Young And Stupid' but starting to get to the Oh Fuck This Is Just His ✨️Personality.✨️ Okay. Alright. Stage. He's also Kind Of A Self-Centered Prick. And is, therefore, very easily manipulated. This bites him in the ass regularly.

See Also: instigates constantly and then wonders why they get punted through windows/into brick walls/down many stairs. 

Forensics major drop-out. Did like. A year and got bored of it. Has the rare Sherlock Holmes Moment. The slightly More Common Dexter Morgan Moment. Other than that its just a fun fact. Writing Characters Smarter Than You Etc Etc,,,

Track Racer!! Not. Super Fleshed Out. Crew probably hates his ass for being so Destruction Of Property-ey. Definitely in Several of those videos of motogp racers crashing the fuck out of their bikes and then just. Grabbing a new one and Fucking Off.

The ✨️Timeline✨️

(kinda)

So. Abridged Series Of Events:

Goes to bar->

Gets in barfight->

Wakes up on floor of apartment Absolutely Hanging->

Proceeds to Deny Deflect Dissociate <3 his way through several months of shit sleep, weird bruises, and lost time-> *

Oh Fuck Wait.->

Was actually Very Murdered In afformentioned Barfight.->

Made a deal while bleeding the fuck out and also wasted. Great combination. ->

"How is this legally binding."->

Etc etc

(Said demon still doesn't. Have a name soooo. If anyone had any suggestions. 👉👈)

Quinn was also. Decidedly. Not Meant To Survive This Encounter. But alas he's built like a fuckin cockroach and fueled by spite and Neither Of Them Are Happy About It.

Ended up working out pretty sweet* for him though because he has quite a strong (if a little idealised) sense of justice and Likes Life And Not Being Exsanguinated.

(*yk. Apart from the whole. burning alive thing.)

Frequent Flyer at Danny's bar other than that probably minimal contact with other GRs. Not sure yet tho lol

~~~

The problem with my kind of OC writing is I have a lot of like. Little Story Ideas. That I. Could draw but alas motivation is an endangered species in my life and they're not very cohesive.

so i get stuff like *this lmao

But anyway Good luck deciphering this mess. If anyone needs me, I'll be making the Chowerpoint ghost rider edition. 🫡

[kitcheninaman]

I read ykyr tags and I really need to hear more about your ocs now 🙏

HIIII FINN!!!! THANK U FOR ASKING TEEHEE!!! this is gonna be a LONG post i am so sorry

the oc i was talking about was noah!!! noah is one of the main characters in a little writing project i have that i call lucasworld (the tag is. either #lucasworld or #ocposting if u wanna scroll through my account)

the other main characters of lucasworld are: lucas (duh), lin, and odin

some side characters include: crya, finn (omg!!!), holly, madison, lucas' parents, uncle isaac, and lins mother

ive been working on a novel, called the middle of the road, that centres lin lucas and noah, but my main focus right now is the short film im making about lin and odin. its easier to do a lin and odin focused film bc i dont have to try and figure out how to do the supernatural ghost parts.

basic plot is like. lin and lucas start year 11 (aged 15/16. i think youre american but idk what grade that is sorry) and theyre having a Bad time. lucas is the worlds most insecure and anxious guy, and lin is getting bullied by this rando at his bus stop (the rando is odin). they get to form (is homeroom the term americans use?) and lucas discovers he is sat by a new kid. this is noah. noah and lucas embark on this cringe and awkward teen romance (to lins dismay. lucas isnt very nice to him during this period) while lucas is unaware that noah is a ghost. noah then tells lucas he is a ghost. this is a big deal. noahs whole thing is that he ended his own life a few months ago and as some sort of divine punishment he gets to live one year as a ghost before being taken back by the afterlife (feels weird making God canon) forever. this is what lucas and noahs story centres. lins story centres his struggles with living with an abusive parent, and his friendship with lucas and how that gets strained due to the stress of their exams, the fact noah is a fucking ghost, and lucas refusing to try and improve his mental health problems. lin is also in the midst of a psychosexual situationship with a guy who keeps hatecriming him.

odin is a main character, with his own pov, but he doesnt really interact with any of the main plot. hes there, having his own problems, and being weird about lin. odin is transgender (like everyone in this story), but hes stealth, and bullying lin for being trans. their story is about how odin learns to be a better person, accept himself for himself, and makes amends with lin. they end up kissing on the mouth bc theyre both freaks who were lowkey into the whole hatecriming thing. my short film (called ruined enough) about them is currently in the pre production phase and i am VERY excited to make it :)

thank you SO much for your question!!! if you have anything else to ask PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE i love talking about these silly guys in my head so much. theres a lot more additional background information (lore about the afterlife, the other novel im writing set in the same universe, etc) i didnt want to bore you with but if youre interested my askbox remains open!! not just to you finn either if anyone out there wants to hear about my sillies. please ask me

[domtheforestgnome]

Some moments in season 3 of Young Royals that stand out for me ep.2

Here's link when I share moments from season 1

I have some free time now, and there is ALWAYS a good time for rewatch of Young Royals, so here we go episode 2. I'm sharing outstanding moments from season 3, that made me gasped, yelped or laughed. This show is so dear to me. Hope you'll enjoy :) Have a nice Sunday :3

The beggining!

At first I cringed a little bc I thought Wille's talking to the picture, but then we hear Simon's voice and my heart melted. Also, this whole scene made me balance on the edge of cringe bc I was with my friends while watching, but... well... Wilmon is just too lovely and soft for that, so yeah more melting body and heart from this scene.

2. I will repeat - The Music

Always the music <3 It just flushes into my soul and meander there with whole show emotion package. Ugh! I love it.

3. The casual pretty packed racism Felice is facing from the headmistress of the school...

It was the same kind of discrimination words as Kristina said to Wille in season 2 about him being the first one who decided to start unconventional relationship. It is said smooth and soft and It's even more disguising bc of that.

So I just screamed when I saw Felice's reaction. Go girl! They won't fvck with you! It was also very thoughful way of relieving the emotions by creators. I like that.

4. Them

So soft and casual <3

5. New choir member

I'm still kicking my feet while watching this.

And then...

Wille is so gone for Simon. My teeth are gonna decay because of the amount of the sugar this season. And it hits even more bc of how much they suffered in previous seasons.

6. The moment I realised

that when August and Nils were 1rst years in Hillerska, Erik was a third year student. I gasped.

7. The fight

Up until this moment the series is just walking around talking about how jokes are used as excuses of violence, yet here we go again. I burst out laughting.

And then the knowing Erik thing.

It's just so satisfying how August repeats the sentence without any shame. It felt good. In time, extremely quick answer. Ohh, I LOVE THIS SERIES.

8. Simon being done with looking after Sara

and being honest about it with his mom. I think this season Linda hears lots of uncomfortable words from Simon, but he needs to let it out and she need to hear it so it felt good also how is he saying that. We can hear how tired and pissed he is. I'm proud.

9. More speaking up about what we could witness in previous seasons

I just screamed "THANK YOU!"

10. Small moment for nonbinary people.

I felt seen. <3

I know that the show is not about that, but just this small moment of acknowledgement for us - pure bliss <3

11. Feliece the biggest support for the gays

Idk I was just happy with this, probably bc of all the stories in fanfiction hahaha. My favourite combination :3

12. And the Rosh and Ayub!

Like - them all in one place finally! My heart, the joy, I can't, I loved it.

13. And the Roshella - Noone expeted it, yet everyone needed. My computer can't handle it so no screeshot from this scene. But I love the way the showed it, the close ups, and the Fredrikas face. Chefs kiss :D

And then I was getting more and more angry. So, I'm ending this post here.

Haha, also I need to go to work, so that's it.

Take care!

[ddarker-dreams]

Hi! I have a question, you can ignore this if you want to but I’ve found myself really loving the way you write and the range of writing you can articulate as well. Speaking from someone who is nowhere close to that level of skill you possess, would you mind being able to explain your journey of writing, if you practiced any particular methods or anything else to get to this stage you are at right now? Unless you have been gifted the talent of writing from birth and didn’t need to try for much long or long enough to call it a journey. Could you also spare some tips and advice for someone who wants to start writing stories and what to look into/practice?

I love your work a lot and I am constantly waiting for the notification of your new posts, despite not being a writer myself I do love breaking down and analysing writing and your stories are always such good options for me to look into. Thank you so much for writing and sparing your time to produce such well done pieces of work — I felt extremely corny writing this, excuse me for this language, I promise I’m not a pimp!

THIS ISN'T CORNY AT ALL!!!! ❌🌽❌!!!!

i'm deeply grateful for all your kind words, thank you so so much 😭

i don't mean this in a self-deprecating way, but i've never considered myself a gifted or super incredible writer, i just get hype about story ideas and try to make them as good as i can. due to that, i start sweating when people ask for advice because i don't consider myself qualified... i do have a writing advice tag, but take everything i say with a grain of salt!! if it's fanfic literally all that matters is that you enjoy whatever you're writing.

i'm more than happy to share my writing journey though!! it's kinda fun to reminiscence.

i've loved reading and writing ever since i was a little lock. while thinking about this ask, it occurred to me that what i've always been the most invested in are the characters. i'd think about 275894275 different storylines with them. i didn't start writing fanfic until i was around 11 though, everything was handwritten. or in flipnote hatena.

i did a lot of fanfic writing from 11-14 buuuut then my interest in it kinda fizzled out. it wasn't until i watched hxh for the first time that i took it up again bc chrollo is that powerful. that's when i started conceptualizing HWR. i looked at my early writing folder, the first HWR fanfic i wrote was in 2016 when i was 15 ?? here's a cursed excerpt:

anyway, once i started making googly eyes at chrollo, it was gg. i've been writing often ever since.

what's helped me the most is to focus on the elements i find interesting. for example, i like fleshing out my MCs, focusing on dialogue, and developing a universe around the main pairing. because i enjoy this so much it's (mostly) always easy to devote time and effort toward it.

so i think it comes down to finding out what niches you like and working with those. some writers prefer to write with heavy prose, others are more succinct, some writers like dialogue, others prefer to be more action based... etc etc. this does require a little time if you're completely new to writing, but you know yourself best. you'll eventually pick up on what part of the story you're most excited to write.

this isn't particularly mind-blowing or anything but i hope it helps some 😭 what completely Altered my mindset was when i realized i can be as self-indulgent as humanly possible. cringe is not in my vocabulary. write a MC where every single character is in love with them if you want. write a 100k word fic about your OC being isekaid into x world. post about your f/os, draw art of you with your fav, go ham.

[wetcatspellcaster]

I noticed in replies for AHL Chapter 13 that I, and a few others, got the zoomies when the angst was angsting. As readers we CAN NOT stop reading, what was happening was written so well and a lot of us related to Rose when the panic set in.

What is it like writing that kind of scene though? Does it take a toll while writing those kinds of scenes, or are you able to get through the emotional beats easier since you know the destination your characters are working towards?

oh, that's such an interesting question thank you!!!

so, full disclosure, the moment where she slurs her words (trying to say 'put it back' but choosing 'baa-' instead - kind of like a sheep?) fully makes me cringe every time I read it, even in editing to post. It is a very humiliating moment, even for me. It is very close to experiences I have had and unfortunately, the most shameful thing I find in my own anxiety is having an audience, and worrying about how other people perceive me in a moment of suffering :') I did find that hard actually, and it's the first time I've found anything hard, up to and including killing Jarstarion lmfao.

that being said, I think I actually find 'hurt' moments easier to write than 'comfort' moments, generally. maybe this is bc I'm an innately fucked up person or something, but more likely I think it's bc conflict fuels a story and adds lighter fluid to whatever fire you've got going, but reaching an equilibrium requires you to find a new interesting piece of development within that equilibrium or that plateau - how is this hug different from any other hug, this kiss different from any other kiss, what has changed or been built upon, how has the relationship grown? I think the equilibrium/plateau is very comforting for the reader, but for a writer (or for me as a writer) it is much more of a challenge than just breaking all the plates at once and seeing what new shapes the shattered pieces make! Like, it's clear how the story has developed in this chapter! it's pretty fucking obvious!!

knowing the destination definitely makes things easier, too - I only posted Chapter 13 after I'd also drafted Chapter 14, but this was mostly bc I knew they needed to work as a pair, so I wanted to make sure they were both complete before updating. So I posted ch.13 knowing what comforting moments come next :) I also think Pieces only got as dark as did (was it that dark? the jury is out) bc I had the ending from the beginning - every low reached in that story was to make the pay-off feel worth it in my own mind, so every beat of that story was very much informed by the intended destination.

[tsaritsa]

Congratulations on winning Nano!!! Any hot takes or unconventional tips on how to achieve a huuuge milestone like that in so little time?

Also, if you'd like to share, I'd love to hear more about the piece(s) you worked on during this year's event! Big yay if you want to tease us with a sneak peek as well. 🙂

Congratsss again!!!

ty!!!! i am afraid my tips might seem kind of obvious and not that much of a hot take but here's what worked for me:

writing sprints. do 10 min. do 17 min. do 30 min. whatever it is, just get words down on the page. after each sprint was finished i'd look at what i wrote, fix up the most glaring mistakes (espe if the words looked terrible. i've learned to live with a lot of spelling errors bc otherwise u waste too much time. during nano each day i'd prolly manage between 2-3 sprints -- usually enough to net me between 1000-1500 words each day. i wouldn't stop if i hit the daily total, i'd stop when i could feel the motivation waning. my lowest day was under 300 words, my biggest was just over 4000.

get a community. writing sucks alone. i feel very grateful that i've made some friends on here who were also trying to write regularly, so now there's 5 of us in a little discord i've made. we do sprints with each other and share lots of snippets, memes, pretty pictures etc. it keeps us excited about our own projects, but also allows us to cheerlead each other on.

get used to placeholders. i use TK. anytime there's a word i need but it's not on the tip of my tongue? TK my beloved. sometimes i'd write like she sighed in a TK kind of way, or like harry opens his mouth to argue about TK TK some work thing he's doing TK TK. it just keeps u in the pace of writing ur in, but allows for a few words to be spent writing down a piece that needs further expansion.

establish habits and goals. for me, it's stuff like trying to write the bulk of my writing with a nice candle lit, but also the silly stuff like putting on lippy so I feel like. Ready to do shit. have a few drinks avail. one to hydrate (ice cold) one to caffeinate (also ice cold). play music or sounds that will help u get into the zone without overly distracting. now that i've won it i'm gonna treat myself to some silly purchases as well bc i should reward myself for such hard work and dedication. i'm thinking a v comfy hoodie.

overall if i didn't have the community i had this month i think my external motivation would've been lost quickly, so find friends to yell at about ur project. watch yt videos about ppl doing writing! make posts and don't give a flying fuck about being cringe or not suiting ut 'aesthetic'. this is u. do it for U.

in terms of this project: the short version is hermione goes back to hogwarts post book 7 and has to slowly begin to recover from/learn to live with the PTSD she's gained. alas, draco is also back and she's gotta learn to make peace with the fact that he's allowed to want to change and that he's making small steps to become a better person than who he was. they're gonna kiss and be disgusting with each other. ultimately this is a story about hermione's journey, as the whole thing is written from her perspective, so although the dhr aspect is there, there are also other important relationships i want to focus on -- especially her and harry.

i'm ignoring/expanding on a lot of canon, and using some details from the movies i prefer over the books (namely her mudblood scar bc mmmmm parallels). i don't really know if anybody is in character but i don't care! this is my story and i'll do it how i see fit haha.

the following excerpt comes from late sept in the current draft. at this point dhr has been forced together a few times already. draco has surreptitiously managed to drug slughorn with a potion of his (slughorn's) own making during their potions class bc the potions professor was spending an entire lesson just showing off instead of. u know. teaching.

[kenjiyabuki]

DMD FTR: finale thoughts

i forgot to put this out because i've been in the process of being an employed adult human person these days, unfortunately (no one who saw my previous DMD FTR posts is surprised that i was unemployed). now i wont even get to have my weekly crisply shot and edited hang outs w Gen 3 besties while this new job is sucking my soul... but this was a pleasant finale to this sweet and chill and incredibly unsurprising show!

here's the thing: i dont even know who Domundi is trying to fool w this double win stuff cause they did literally announce the new gen would be acting in TWO (2) new series during their 2023 Line Up event???????

so the double win wasn't a surprise AT ALL but it's okay, it didnt really diminish my enjoyment out of the show at all. i wanted both couples to have series anyway!

as i've said in my first post about this show, it has been very obvious that this shows' intention isn't to be a competition, it's more of a new gen "inauguration". they could've just put the boys through bunch of workshops and let them choose partners off camera too but they chose to put money and time in to make it a whole show, so people could witness their journey and premature fan clubs would form and develop. i think its fun and clever marketing but did it work???

well, the boys def have more fans now BUT on the same day this episode was premiering, some ZNN fans were crying about their faves (who just had a movie come out, also filming a show rn AND scheduled to film another one after) being slighted by the company and they didn't need to "add more". like i said, i don't really follow Domundi closely, if the fans are right about artist management i might not know... but their Gen 2 was extremely successful after all and people are BEGGING for more series, so it's not a bad move for a company to want to grow. i wish fans would be more mature and learn more the industry the person they "stan" works in! why would a growing company would just make shows w 2 actors over and over man, cmon 😭

okay now that i got that out of me, back to the finale. some notes about the general:

the group performance of the theme song was a bit cringe to me bc i just hate that kind of music. but everyone's ending fairies were really cuteeeee so i forgive them

real winners of the episode is the background dancers because they literally did all the performances and acted too, very well!!

Domundi members and variety of industry people in the audience was sweet to see and added valuable comments/advice for the boys. i was especially happy to see Jimmy and Tommy, whom i ADORE!!!!

i was laughing at that LOUD ASS clapping and hollering track they kept playing to add some more noise to the audience's. like i know why they did it but how much that big sound didn't match w that small crowd just tickled me..

well, yeah, i cant get into idol-ing stuff personally so i was kind of bored during the solo performances. i dont really have comments that hasn't already been said by the judges. i thought all the boys did what they were supposed to do and showcased their talents, EXCEPT Latte........ my dude, what happened? i think he could've lip sync to the song, which IS a skill (Rupaul's Drag Race battles and just drag performances in general as evidence...) that would add a lot to his performance.

Firstone leaving the competition w Best Friendship & Best Performance Awards in his pocket and two guys wanting to be his partner. What a little star... Deserved and love his cocky attitude.

about couple jukebox musicals:

in my last episode commentary, i joked about Mandee getting inspired from my ideas but then they actually kinda happened lol🧐🧐🧐🧐 ThomasKong's performance was a coming of age, young love story while KengNamping's story was more complex romance w an angsty core, almost exactly like i wished for.

all in all, KengNamping's performance grabbed my attention the most. mostly because their acting & chemistry seemed improved to me (that kiss fake out at the end, what the hell??? you guys couldn't hold an eye contact couple eps ago...) AND their storyline just ATEEEE. i dont know who came up w the forbidden romance between kinda out of touch but well meaning rich boy & his "i suffer through love quietly" village boy bodyguard, w humour sprinkled in, but they need to get their ass eaten regularly...

ThomasKong don't even need to try that hard, they are just natural born charmers!!!! i liked their friends to lovers, nerdy guy cant believe popular one' love bc he doesnt see his value storyline (Thomas could've busted out One Direction's "What Makes You Beautiful"). With the romantic prom climax, it reminded me of American high school movies and fit their vibes perfectly. i wish it was more humorous, because i think comedy is one of their strong suits. like how did it ended up that shy kings KengNamping got more laughs than ThomasKong, the goofballs themselves??? whoever is writing their series, please take notes, now that i know you are reading these...

after the glorious double win and the cute four-way hug, Aof said that two shows would be announced this year which clearly meant that most we are getting this year are pilot trailers. which is fine. not easy to be patient but i get that they are a smaller company w lots on their plates already. i hope they will use that time to work and work and work on the shows!!!!

i honestly want Domundi to kind of change up things in their filmmaking/producing styles, maybe switch directors sometimes and try diffferent styles idk... this show and Gen 3 in general felt very refreshing and i hope they keep that vibe going! and maybe i will finally watch a Domundi show till the last episode.

P.S.: Extra clips were released this week and KengNamping's was sweet. i was kinda laughing at how much of a set up it was like, them conveniently sharing a blanket, all mic'd up, getting filmed w lights on etc. but their conversation and mood in the moment seemed sincere, which is enough. it was nice to see the context for ep 5, when they found each other at the other end of the red ribbon and said that so much happened on that bridge. what a perfect circle moment, from comforting each other about not winning a challenge to winning the show!

[mr-bisk]

Fukkkkkk I want to spoil the surprises of my fics but i don't want to ruin them for who follows me on tumblr.... I guess fuk-ich, idk how to format a post, but it cant be that hard, am I Right!?

Spoilers and HC's under the cut:

Also TW: i can't continue w/o advising: if u got a cringe allergy, ingestion might block your throat. I don't want to kill anybody(yet) so maybe skip this one.

CW: Spoilers for the chapter amouts and last chapter; Transphobes DNI lol, I made all of them Queer and I'll die on this lane; Little Vents(more than one, kinda?); Mention of Fan-Childs.

First of all: The ending. The fanwork just will get 4 chaps cuz i can't drag stuff yet. To spoil the ending, Bill will have a panic attack upon not being able to avoid feeling queer at Josh's presence, gets a hold of his mother's whisky, drunkly and pathetically call Josh to come to his house and out of pity he will attend. They end up alone in Bill's room and end up kissing. It doesn't stop Josh from going to college, much for the opposite effect as he gets scared and confused, but plans to come back to Eltingville soon with a clearer mind.

Pete HC: 🅱️ete is transmasc, stealth-trans. His parents saw it coming from a young age and are actually supportive. They help him hide away his deadname and other stuff that would direct hate towards him. His dad loves having a male son that is interested in helping him with brute shit, although he doesn't endorse his interest in horror and nerd stuff, it is the exception.(also Jer knows his deadname as they are childhood frens.)

Jerry HC('s, theres A LOT of stuff): 1st, Jerry is transfem. 2nd, PeteJer is real. 3rd: I made BillJer virtually impossible timeline-wise bc Bill assumes himself as gay a little after Jer's Egg-Hatchin', also he has the fastest but most oblivios gaydar(maybe queer-dar, idk??) and never felt attracted to Jer.(also yeah, i hold a grudge for the flood of billjer we had when eltingville blew up. Like, Frrr? the whitest, most bland ship u cold think off got popular!?! No hate if u like it, theres loads of gr8 stuff under the umbrella, I'm just not kin.)

Vent: I still love eltingville, don't see the end off the brainstorm/interest flood on the horizon yet- ....Buuuuuut I can't hold myself from feeling like I'm making a disservice to the BillJosh tag. I just begun to write again and posted it on AO3 to prevent me from quitting, and The Damn™️, I feel like my work is meh at best. I'm a perfecctionist, and there are plans of it being re-written, so if u like it, hop in the future when i got enough EXP. and writing turned into a pleasure again.

Bacc to the fanfic. There will be at least 3 more projs. after I conclude this one: A continuation where Josh comes back to Eltingville to see Bill and ends up dragging him to Boston; A PeteJer bittersweet tale with two parts in which(as it is in my brain rn, change might come) mirrors the BillJosh plot, you'll have to wait to see; And a Jane-centered story BECAUSE I 💜 HER!!1!!

I.... Okay.... Last one. The cringiest and most personal yet: There will need to be a Miracle, a fucking change of heart of me to not put Fan-Childs at some point.... yeah. Look, I myself plan of becoming a Father/Ba irl and it pours in the way i see relationships. If thats a big ass No-Hell-No! to u, Maybe do not hop into the fishing line of my fanworks, because it is a big factor in the way i view it's development.

[grassbreads]

Writer Interview Game

I was tagged for this by @torterrachampion . Thank you!!

Since this is my fandom-specific account, I'm going to keep these answers mostly limited to fanfiction.

When did you start writing?

I have been writing my entire life. I was one of those kids that was convinced I was going to write a novel at age 10 (although I never got further than a couple of chapters). For fanfiction specifically, the first fic I ever wrote was a halloween story project for middle school that I turned into D.Gray-man fanfiction. I started writing and publishing fic for real the following summer, when I was 14. (Much like the novels in elementary school, I never actually finished one of the longfics I started in high school).

Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write?

Big time lmao. A *lot* of the original fiction I read is horror, and although I've played around with the idea of writing a horror fic, I'm yet to find a good concept for one. I'm also a huge lover of long multi-chapter fics and elaborate AUs, but I publish mostly oneshots.

Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?

I honestly cannot remember ever having my work compared to specific other writers?

But as I said, I love elaborate longfic AUs yet really struggle to write them myself (long projects are my enemy), so I would sell my soul to be able to emulate the works of travelingneuritis or oxfordroulette, both of whom I really admire. I've written whole long posts before about how much oxfordroulette's Homestuck fics impressed and impacted me when I first read them like 6 years ago.

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

My writing space is anywhere in my apartment :). Sometimes I write at my desk, but more often I'm curled up or crosslegged on my couch or futon. Gotta be cozy and comfy.

What’s your most effective way to muster up a muse?

Since fic is a pretty casual hobby for me these days, I mostly just kinda write when inspiration strikes (hence why I publish roughly one fic per year). That said, rereading canon scenes featuring the characters I'm writing always helps me get their voice into my head.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing? Do they surprise you?

I don't know if I write enough to have big recurring themes? I like writing about characters that aren't doing well mentally, but that's both broad and not always applicable.

I suppose it does always make me laugh when I see "Christmas" listed among my most-used tags on Ao3. I'm not even a christian, but I've written two fics set during christmas bc gift exchanges make for good fluff, and with my output, two times puts it in my top 10.

What is your reason for writing?

Sometimes a story worms its way into my brain so deeply that canon just isn't enough. I need to live in that world to a degree beyond what I can get from canon content alone. And when there isn't enough existing fic by others to scratch that itch, or when there isn't enough of the right *type* of existing fic, I simply have to sit down and make my own.

Also, writing fanfiction is fun :).

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

I'd like to think I'm good at characterization, at least most of the time. And I think I'm good at making sure things flow.

How do you feel about your own writing?

I really like a majority of the things I've written, or at least the stuff I've written as an adult. My really old writing makes me cringe a little sometimes, but I look back on it fondly, and I still reread newer stuff like An Act of Trust and Idle God, Idol Gossip for my own amusement.

The brief answer is that overall, I'm quite proud.

If either of you are interested in joining, I'll tag @cinammonelles and @azapofinspiration :)

[cetra]

[Image ID: A screenshot of Lae'zel from Baldur's Gate 3. She can be seen in the Astral Plane, looking at something unseen in the distance with an uncertain expression on her face. /End ID.]

Okay this is probably stupid and pointless but WHATEVER i'm embaracing the cringe. This is a rant about Lae'zel's evil qualities BECAUSE SHE'S MY WIFE AND IM STARTING TO GET ANNOYED at people either ignoring that side of her or hating her because of it!! I'm shoving it all under a cut because it ended up getting WAY LONGER than i expect it to be 🧡

I've seen some people make the claim that folks only think Lae'zel is cruel and selfish because they never bothered to keep her in their party for long enough to see the variety of facets of her character, and i'm just gonna say this: Lae'zel hasn't left my party i think even once since she joined, and I can confirm that she definitely is cruel and selfish. You have to remember that Lae'zel has essentially spent her whole life drilling "kindness is weakness, violence is of virtue, intimidation is your weapon, your only purpose is to Ascend no matter how bloody a path you must carve along the way" into her head bc that's the only way she knows how to survive

And this is entirely reflected in her actions, how she treats the player and the other companions, and what she approves/disapproves of— especially in the early hours of the game before she's had much room to develop at all. She likes when the player is violent for the sake of furthering themselves, and sometimes even when it's just for fun (i.e. torturing Liam for no reason other than entertaining some goblins). she likes when the player is intimidating to the point of comical. She likes when the player treats the people around them like scum that are beneath them. She likes when the player puts their own needs before others. I know this because i'm playing a character that is typically aligned with this kind of behavior, and Lae'zel absolutely loves it to the point of admiration and obsession (her words). from my understanding it's pretty easy to foster a neutral to positive relationship with Lae'zel even on a good aligned character because that's the way the game works. It's actually REALLY hard to get your character on a companion's bad side. But getting Lae'zel to admire you is going to be hard too if you aren't willing to be at least a little wicked and cruel, forsaking compassion from time to time!!!!!

and I dont know..... i guess when I see posts where people try to convince us that she cares from the start and she isn't ALL THAT BAD in the beginning I feel like does a lot of disservice to her character and JUST how much she grows over the course of the game. Like no, she doesnt actually care about the players and the companions at the very beginning, because not only are they strangers that she's known for a couple days after spending a lifetime of associating caring with frailty, but also because she has no actual reason to. Lae'zel is lawful and logical, and to care for somebody at this point in her story is illogical. the only reason why she should want the player and companions alive is A) because of their knowledge of Faerun and B) so she has as much manpower as possible to cut down her foes quickly, minimizing the chance of ceremorphosis creeping up on them. They are her only chance at being able to actually navigate this world completely foreign to her without losing her mind and to get to the Creche so she can continue seeking her true purpose: ASCENSION. and once they get to the Creche she gets MAD if the player tries to cure themselves before her. She threatens to leave. she definitely is THAT BAD and it RULES SORRY!!

it isn't until much later in the story that she is able to show even a glimmer of empathy towards the struggles of the companions i.e. Gale and Shadowheart. That in my opinion, although also depending on the player's actions, is the entire purpose of her arc having MAJOR developments a bit earlier than most of the companions— so that she can start to challenge herself and her own faith much earlier and subconsciously in the process understand some of the other companions crises of faith too

Like. man. i just don't understand why some people are so unwilling to admit to themselves that Lae'zel is not a good person, at least definitely not at the start of the game. i guess it's because they view that as a bad thing? but to me personally it's what makes her SO INTERESTING and why I immediately latched onto her. Lae'zel easily has the most ties to the main narrative out of all the characters in the game, she's arguably the most important companion in the game, and she's pretty consistently been a centerpiece in Larian's marketing for it. but she essentially has NONE of the makings of a traditional hero in a personality and moral sense. She's nasty, she's brutal, she's sadistic, she's ignorant, she's full of herself, she's brash. I love that side of her so much and i love that subversion of what we would typically expect from a character who's constantly at the forefront of an adventure story like BG3's. just completely a product of her own environment, and justifiably so, when you realize the historical agony of her people and the horrors they had to overcome

I've torn flesh from monsters and men. I've laughed as they suffered.

Once you really start to understand these fundamental parts of her character and like. ACTUALLY ACCEPT THEM as a core part of her identity..... you really start to see that she's also brave, and clever, and intelligent, and has an intense love for her people and culture, and is actually HILARIOUS (both intentionally and unintentionally). When she really lets the player in too, specifically in her romance, and you get the privilege of watching her let her guard down, it feels like something you're not meant to see and like you're infringing on a private moment. because she's genuinely so sweet and warm in these moments and she's only really let the player character access that part of her because she trusts them, not YOU. And to Lae'zel, this is probably the first time in her life she's ever trusted someone..... and she's probably damning herself for it. Trying to blame it on an obsessive and carnal lust with no real emotions or love involved. Because she's not a good person, and she's not a person who trusts and loves. and it's so good and relatable and well-written it makes me want to SCREAM 😭😭

But you... I don't want to hurt you. I want to protect you.

Just. I DONT KNOW. IM RAMBLING AT THIS POINT BUT....... LAE'ZEL MY LOVE!!!!!! I LOVE HER SO MUCH!!!! and i hope there are other people who love her at every point in her story not just for who she ends up becoming. Every part of this character means so much to me and i'm gonna think of her forever.....

and I'm not even finished with the game

[jittyjames]

so late to this, but! for the ask game!! 5, 13 (bc i need to read more fics in both hamilton and jcs lmao), and 16!

5. i think my writing has improved a lot since i first posted mine to subdue. i think i've grown more confident with knowing what i want to say and how i want to say it. i might be wrong, but i think i've developed a style that is consistent which i'm very proud of. i basically improved on the smoothness of writing, too, i think (i could be so wrong). i basically improved all of this just by working nonstop, and writing every chance i get. i do want to write different things every now and again. i feel like my works can get repetitive very quickly, and often that's what stops me from posting if i think a fic is too similar to something i've already done, or someone else has written something under the same premise. so that's kind of what i'm working on. i want to be able to bring something fresh and unique, so i'm trying to work on expanding my vocabulary a bit more and think of new ideas.

13. oooo this is so good. first and foremost i will say, i believe fic writers (And fan artists naturally) are what keep fandoms and my fixations on them alive, so these fics have greatly impacted me in that way, and the excellence of them inspires me to keep writing and keep going. for hamilton, i have read the fics for years. i've been on ao3, fanfiction.net, and wattpad since practically the beginning. i remember when there was <100 posted on ao3. like it goes so far back. sons of libertea by fihli was my favorite fic when i was thirteen and what really got me into reading hardcore for hamilton. i haven't read it in a long time so i don't know if it holds up, but i'm sure it does. so that one is really iconic for me, and i know it was really popular at the time. i've talked about it before but the monticello furlough was a game changer for me. anything by holograms is brilliant and i die every time. and it's not just bc y'all are my pallys and kiddos, but @youreverydaydemikid @cecescomposition @fireballdance, the fics y'all write literally have me dropping whatever i'm doing to read what you post. it's so so good. like it's genuinely consistently good work that i squeal over every time. also @binch-i-might-be is an absolute icon that has kept the fandom fed for a good few years. there have also been numerous fanfics that have been deleted over the years that i adored, so we will have a moment of silence for them, but alas, it's the price i have to pay for being in a fandom that became "cringe culture" and made everyone delete their work even if it was really good.

NOW FOR JCS. it is such a small fandom, but that does not mean there is any lack of wonderful content. OBVIOUSLY, i will start by recommending anything by @solarflicker. their work is genuinely jaw dropping and i die every time. their characterizations are so good, and their stories are so well written. i could not recommend them enough. if i had to choose one, though, it would have to be judecca. like that one is one i reread practically every week. but as i said, all of them are so good. you would be doing yourself a disfavor by skipping any of them. @ohsoldier is so so good too. their good omens au is chef's kiss. picking up the palm fronds by @hobgoblinns is also very very good. beserk's jcs fics are also golden little au's that are so so good!! they have like a reincarnation au that i adore. another good reincarnation au that i love is that's what you had (but you don't have it anymore) by zartbitterpoetin. this one is so unique and well written. like it's so creativeeee. those are all a bit angsty BUT there's a really cute coffee shop fic (i think it has smut in it so be careful youngins) but it's the fic that all the people not in the fandom find and it blows their minds that people ship jesus/judas lmaooo. but it's called i'm falling for brew by framblebee. NOW I'VE RAMBLED ON THIS QUESTION FOR FAR TOO LONG SO I'LL LEAVE YOU WITH ONE MORE. you have to have an account to view it, but it is the 2012 revival fic (once again i think it had a tad bit of smut so watch for that) but so tonight that i might see by altzfic is amazing. like honestly there are so many good fics out there. it's crazy how talented people are in both of these fandoms. i could go on for ages, but i will end the rant here.

(i could genuinely make a long post of just fic recommendations for both fandoms and it would be longer that this. it's just so good.) (lemme know if y'all want that. it would take a while to collect all the links, but i would gladly boost the fics i love)

16. the worst writing advice i've ever been given was to delete everything and start over if you get stuck. my storage might hate me, but i've learned i regret very much if i delete my work. even if i don't use something in the fic i originally wrote it for, i could always use it somewhere else or expand on it and make it it's own thing. another bad piece of advice i got was never use flowery language. i resent that. i loathe that. i am a writing maximalist, my dears. i will make my writing as longwinded and drawn out as possible.